1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a system for storing and for feeding articles at a high velocity, and is embodied in a system for storing and feeding linkless rounds of ammunition to a high rate of fire machine gun, as in a pod externally mounted to an aircraft.
2. Prior Art
U.S. Pat. No. 2,364,510 issued Dec. 5, 1944 to E. M. Bertram et al provides an early showing of a machine gun having its own ammunition magazine mounted in a fairing which is externally mounted to an aircraft. Ammunition handling systems for linkless ammunition for high rate of fire machine guns are well known. Examples can be found in U.S. Pat. No. 2,935,914 issued to B. Darsie et al on May 10, 1960; U.S. Pat. No. 2,993,415 issued to E. W. Panicci et al on July 25, 1961; and U.S. Pat. No. 3,696,704 issued to L. F. Backus et al on Oct. 10, 1972. These systems include an outer stationary drum having longitudinal partitions therein, and an inner, rotating, helical partition. Rounds are arranged radially about the central longitudinal axis and have their projectiles disposed between adjacent layers of the helical partition. Rotation of the helical partition advances the rounds longitudinally along the drum, which rounds are picked up by a scoop disc assembly having traveling sprockets. This system is exemplified in the SUU-16/A, SUU 23/A the SUU-11/ B and the GPU-2/A gun pods. In the GPU-2/A the outer drum contains a fixed helix and the ammunition is advanced along the helix by a central rotor having longitudinal partitions thereon. In these gun pods the drum is aft of the gun and the rounds are perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the gun. The volume of the pod is thus rather large, requiring in length at least the sum of the lengths of the gun and the drum, plus an intercoupling conveyor mechanism, and in diameter at least twice the length of the rounds plus the diameter of the empty core of the helix. The intercoupling conveyor mechanism, such as a feed chute, must accommodate the relative movement between the longitudinally stationary drum and the recoiling gun. U.S. Pat. No. 3,800,658 issued Apr. 2, 1974 to D. P. Tassie et al shows an aft drum wherein the rounds are stored at a 60.degree. angle to the longitudinal axis to reduce the diameter of the drum. The intercoupling feed mechanism comprises a resilient helical guide wrapped around a longitudinally extending sprocket, one end of the guide being fixed to the drum support and the other end being fixed to the gun support. Fired cases are discharged from the pod.